Tom Brady reacts to one of his five touchdown passes in the first half against the Broncos. <a href="http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2012/01/photos-afc-playoff-game-denver-broncos-vs-new-england-patriots/27723/"><b>More photos</b> from Saturday's game.</a>

Tim Tebow heads to the bench late in the fourth quarter before the Patriots won the AFC playoff game 45-10. <a href="http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2012/01/photos-afc-playoff-game-denver-broncos-vs-new-england-patriots/27723/"><b>More photos</b> from Saturday's game.</a>

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. —From a deep hole early in the 2011 season, the Broncos climbed determinedly. They got up and took off on a journey, not stopping until they went much further than expected. The Broncos kept going, traveling to places they had not seen in years. And then, abruptly, the Broncos discovered they had gone too far.

They found themselves on the same field as the mighty New England Patriots in a high-stakes playoff game, with the winner to play in the AFC championship.

The Broncos were not worthy. Far as they have gone this season, the 45-10 whipping they received here on a bitter-cold Saturday night from ruthless coach Bill Belichick and his world-class talented Patriots proved the Broncos still have a long, long, long way to go.

“Not a bad season but not a great season, either,” said Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, as he walked out of the bowels of Gillette Stadium. “I want a great season.”

Tee-Boooow! Tee-Boooow! Tee-Boooow!

The sellout crowd at Gillette Stadium was bored stiff halfway through the third quarter. The outcome had long been decided by then with the Patriots up by five touchdowns. So fans started giving Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow the business.

Little did the fans know — or maybe they did — that Tebow was banged up on the previous series. Tebow was holding his shoulder as he came off the field following his first series of the second half, and backup Brady Quinn started warming up.

“Just the physicality of playing football,” Tebow said. “Sometimes you get hit. Sometimes it can hurt a little bit. But I wanted to play that game.”

He stayed in, which was fitting. This lopsided route brought conclusion, at least for the season, to one of the most inspiring stories of competitive spirit the NFL has seen in years. Tebow was adored by the masses, rebuffed by the experts and had virtually no chance from the get-go against the Patriots.

“It was fun while it lasted,” said Broncos running back Willis McGahee.

This was one of those games where the play seemed to go a tad fast for Tebow, who finished 9-of-26 for 136 yards while also taking five sacks.

Then again, the Patriots play fast. Tom Brady, their fabulous quarterback, had six touchdown passes before this game was four minutes into the second half, tying an NFL playoff record. He has won so many big games in his career, he can operate his offense without a huddle.

The more Brady hurried, the more the Broncos’ defensive mismatches became exacerbated. Belichick didn’t need to sneak Josh McDaniels through a loophole to realize the Broncos don’t have the personnel to cover tight ends.

Against the Patriots, this is a problem.

“They definitely had our number,” said Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey. “But they have a good quarterback. And they have a good players around him. You can do a lot of things with that team.”

Like put one of their gifted tight ends at tailback. When these two teams met a month ago in Denver, the Patriots scored 41 points as their second-best tight end, Aaron Hernandez, had nine catches for 129 yards and a touchdown reception.

In this game, the Patriots’ best tight end, Rob Gronkowski, had eight catches for 97 yards and three touchdowns. In the first half.

“I knew he was good,” said Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil. “But damn, I didn’t know he was that good.”

The mismatch between the Patriots’ tight ends and the Broncos’ defenders charged with covering them was so pronounced, Belichick had Hernandez play tailback. Just for the fun of it, it seemed. It didn’t help that Broncos veteran safety Brian Dawkins again didn’t play because of a neck injury, rookie safety Quinton Carter left early with his own neck ailment and the other starting safety, David Bruton, was knocked out with a concussion.

Hernandez had a 43-yard run on the game’s first possession, setting up a Brady touchdown pass to slot man Wes Welker.

Josh McDaniels was the Broncos’ coach from 2009 until he was fired, for a variety of reasons, with three games left in the 2010 season. The primary reason? McDaniels wasn’t a very good head coach. He got a new job as the St. Louis Rams’ offensive coordinator this year, guiding them to a No. 32 scoring ranking in the 32-team NFL.

McDaniels-led teams had gone 7-32 since Nov. 1, 2009, but he had no impact in this game, proving yet again how good Belichick is as a coach and the Patriots are as a team.

Tebow was down before he could remove his parka. The Patriots’ first drive was absurdly easy, as they went 80 yards in less than two minutes. Brady started 8-of-8 for 79 yards and two touchdowns on his first two drives. He finished 26-of-34 for 363 yards and the six touchdowns.

Asked about his record-setting night, Brady said, “I have no idea what records (were set). We tried to execute well and take advantage of some opportunities.”

Brady and the Pats will play in their sixth AFC championship game in 11 seasons next Sunday against the winner of today’s Houston-Baltimore game.

Even if the Broncos finished their season red-faced from the biting cold and final score, they fared better than expected. They were 4-12 last season and started 1-4 this year when Broncos coach John Fox decided to replace starting quarterback Kyle Orton with Tebow.

The Broncos won seven of their next eight games, many in dramatic, almost mystical fashion. The run was enough to place the Broncos in the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

Tebow and the Broncos would have one more upset win in them as they stunned the heavily favored but banged-up Pittsburgh Steelers, 29-23 in overtime, in a first-round AFC playoff game last week in Denver.

By defeating the Steelers, the Broncos earned the right to get whipped Saturday night. And whipped they were.

“It’s not like we lost to some bums,” said Broncos cornerback Andre’ Goodman. “We lost to Tom Brady and the Patriots.”

Breaking down a blowout

6 TD passes by Tom Brady, equaling the NFL postseason record set by Steve Young and Daryle Lamonica

31 vs. 15 Patriots’ first downs vs. Broncos’ first downs

15 Negative-yardage plays for Denver, including five sacks of Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow

252 Total net yards by the Broncos, with a majority long after the game had been decided

136 Passing yards by Tebow for the game, 110 fewer than Tom Brady had … in the first half

17 Incomplete passes by Tim Tebow

Bests

Big picture. It ended badly, but Denver’s season must be considered a success. From 4-12 to the second round of the playoffs is a positive start for the John Fox era.

McGahee runs hard. Running back Willis McGahee, right, averaged 4.5 yards per carry through the first three quarters Saturday night despite running into a disciplined New England defense expecting the ball to stay on the ground.

Carter’s interception. Rookie defensive back Quinton Carter, before leaving the game because of a neck injury, intercepted his second pass of the postseason to set up Denver’s first-half touchdown.

Tebow’s intensity. Despite the lopsided score, quarterback Tim Tebow showed the fire that helped win over his teammates when he became Denver’s starting QB in October.

Worsts

Nothing there. After winning last week on the highest of highs, it was clear after the game’s opening possession that the Broncos’ playoff mojo was gone.

Battered defense. Four defensive starters left the game with injuries, including both starting safeties, leaving Denver with only two healthy safeties to play most of the second half against Tom Brady.

Brady at his best. Brady had five touchdown passes by halftime, and he added a sixth in the third quarter. He also had a clean jersey, as Denver was unable to sack him through three quarters.

Tight end trouble. Denver had no answer for Rob Gronkowski, who had 10 catches for 145 yards by midway through the fourth quarter. Gronkow-ski increased his season touchdown total to 20 with three scores Saturday night.

Mike Klis was with The Denver Post from Jan. 1, 1998 before leaving in 2015 to join KUSA 9News. He covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball until the 2005 All-Star break, when he was asked to start covering the Broncos.

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